Unbelievable
The Town of Putnam and Putnam Business Association's annual downtown Trick or Treat was the place to be Oct. 26. More photos on page 4. Expanded photo array on our FB page on Wed. night: Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger. Linda Lemmon photo.

 

Hometown Heroes of WWII
Bachand: Awarded Bronze Star Medal
By Michael Rocchetti
Paul Gerard Bachand (1918-1995) was a U.S. Navy Chief Quartermaster who served on the bridge of one of the most highly decorated warships in US Navy history - the Destroyer USS Maury (DD-401). His duties included standing watch, assisting the Officer of the Deck, assisting the Navigator, and serving as helmsman for the ship.
He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal from Vice Admiral M. A. Mitscher USN, for meritorious service as a member of the crew of the USS Maury. The accompanying citation reads in part: “For distinguishing himself by meritorious service in connection with operations against the enemy during the period 7 June 1944 to 6 August 1944 while serving as assistant navigator on a destroyer. Through his ability and tireless readiness to assist in maintaining the positions of friendly and enemy forces and aiding in obtaining the ship’s position, to sink three light Japanese cruisers in enemy occupied areas in the Marianas and Bonins, he contributed materially to the ability of his ship to successfully carry out its missions. His conduct and effort were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service.” Bachand enlisted in the Navy in 1936, and served the duration of WWII, seeing action in most every major naval battle of the war in the Pacific – beginning with Pearl Harbor. His ship, the USS Maury had one of the most impressive records of the Pacific war. The ship was credited with sinking or helping to sink three light Japanese cruisers, 10 destroyers and one patrol vessel as well as shooting down 10 enemy planes. The USS Maury received 16 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation for World War II service.
Paul Gerard Rolland Bachand was born in Central Falls, R.I., on Feb. 5, 1918, the son of French Canadian immigrants Alfred Bachand and Noemi (Coderre) Bachand. Paul’s brother Jean M Bachand was a well-known city court judge in Putnam. Paul Bachand joined the Navy in 1936, shortly after graduating from Windham High School in Willimantic. He was married to Lillian Pollard. They had two children. He died Feb. 17, 1995 in Worcester, and is buried at Worcester County Memorial Park.
Hometown Heroes is a series published in the Putnam Town Crier & Northeast Ledger with this mission: We owe it to our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines to make sure that they are never forgotten, and that the memory of their service and sacrifice will forever live on in the hearts and minds of the grateful people of Putnam.

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Crosswalk
woes should
be gone now
By Linda Lemmon
Town Crier Editor
PUTNAM — By the time you read this, the “frozen” crosswalk signals at the Bridge Street and Kennedy Drive intersection should be fixed.
Two pedestrian-involved accidents at or near the glitchy crosswalk signal brought to the forefront the mostly non-functioning crosswalk signals there at the Riverfront Commons shopping plaza. The traffic lights and the crosswalk signals are the responsibility of the plaza owners.
Sept. 25 Putnam Police investigated a pedestrian-involved motor vehicle accident at that crosswalk. A couple weeks later, another pedestrian was hit outside the crosswalk. Both had minor injuries, according to police.
The crosswalk signal works sporadically, inspiring pedestrians to try to scoot across Kennedy Drive.
Last year the traffic light there “glitched” and the plaza management company, Jcorp Realty Inc. did not fix it. So the town hired Prime Electric from Norwich to fix it.
Town Administrator Elaine Sistare said the town ordered the parts for the crosswalk signals and Prime Electric is scheduled to install the parts Oct. 29. After the company examined the two crosswalk signals, both on the river side of Kennedy Drive, they determined neither one of them was fully functional and both were damaged. She said they thought one of the signals might have been damaged by a car but the second one was definitely vandalized, probably with a baseball bat.
Usually the town bills the plaza owner for the work and if the bill is not paid, the town has the option of putting a lien on property for unpaid bills. For example when a property owner cannot pay for ordered demolition of blighted property, the town pays for the work and then puts a lien on the property.

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